Kushina Uzumaki was full of doubts as she spoke up.
"Why does Minato have to become the Jinchūriki? Can't I do it instead?"
Ren Asakura smiled slightly.
"Don't you two want a second child? Or would you rather go through another Nine-Tails rampage in Konoha?"
The problem with a female Jinchūriki was exactly this—pregnancy complications.
Hearing the mention of a second child, Kushina's face immediately flushed red, and she lowered her head.
Minato also looked a bit embarrassed, but neither of them objected.
Ren noticed their reaction.
Why did it feel like these two were just ganging up to flex on a single guy like him?!
"Alright, alright, stop showing off already! Minato's the Hokage—he can handle being a Jinchūriki just fine!"
Minato had already decided to become a Jinchūriki.
He also understood the risks.
Akatsuki, the Ōtsutsuki, the Ten-Tails, the Divine Tree—in the future, almost every major crisis would revolve around the Tailed Beasts.
Now that he was firm in his resolve to protect his family and village, Minato spoke decisively—
"I'm ready."
Tsunade, however, was completely lost.
"What the hell is even happening right now?!"
Ren Asakura raised his right hand—
Instantly, a red chakra began floating like bubbles in the air.
Tsunade's eyes widened.
"Is that… Nine-Tails?!"
She instinctively took a step back, becoming alert.
"Alright—off you go!"
Ren clenched his chakra-wrapped fist and punched Minato square in the stomach.
With that, Nine-Tails was forcibly transferred inside.
"Cough, cough!"
Minato felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, followed by an overwhelming sensation—
Something powerful was now inside him.
It was uncomfortable.
Really uncomfortable.
Ren Asakura simply grinned, as if he might've done that a bit too hard on purpose.
(Well, maybe it was payback for all the relationship PDA Minato had subjected him to.)
Red chakra surged across Minato's body, surrounding him in a bubble-like aura.
Without hesitation, he sat cross-legged, stabilizing his chakra.
His own chakra merged with Nine-Tails' chakra.
This time, there was no seal involved.
Nine-Tails entered his body willingly.
He could leave whenever he wanted.
Inside the Mindscape…
The surroundings were completely dark.
Nine-Tails was sitting with his eyes closed, looking like he was about to take a nap.
Minato smiled at the massive beast before him.
"Nice to meet you, Nine-Tails."
Nine-Tails huffed, then spoke.
"I already made an agreement with that human.
I'll let you be my Jinchūriki—
but that doesn't mean I acknowledge you.
I'll lend you some of my chakra,
but consider it my rent for living inside you."
His tsundere attitude almost made Minato laugh.
"I'll be in your care then, Kurama."
Nine-Tails opened one eye slightly, then shut it again—
As if silently accepting his words.
—
Minato wasn't in a hurry.
He had all the time in the world to build trust with Nine-Tails.
Back in the Hospital Room…
Kushina sat by the bed, watching Minato with concern.
"Will he be okay like this?"
Ren Asakura replied confidently—
"Of course he will. Thanks to my gentle persuasion, Nine-Tails isn't as hostile toward humans anymore."
As he spoke, the violent red chakra around Minato slowly faded.
In its place, a golden chakra cloak enveloped his entire body.
This was only the first stage of Nine-Tails Mode—
Right now, he could only borrow a portion of Kurama's power.
Minato opened his eyes and stood up.
Then, looking at his own body, he marveled—
"This chakra… it's overflowing!"
The events of the Hokage world had reached their conclusion.
A time of peace was on the horizon.
—
Obito returned from the underworld.
After being lectured by Rin, he deeply reflected on his mistakes and vowed to atone for them.
When Minato heard this, he was deeply moved.
He arranged a new identity for Obito, making sure he had a place to belong.
After that came a wave of political affairs—handling the aftermath of the Nine-Tails attack and the Konoha invasion.
But Ren Asakura wasn't interested in politics.
He had already enjoyed himself plenty this time.
Especially since he had managed to develop a whole Infinite Tsukuyomi world where he could write his own scripts.
It was time to leave.
After bidding farewell to Minato, Ren Asakura returned to the chat group.
[Minato Namikaze]: "Thank you so much. If it weren't for your help, I probably wouldn't have been able to defeat Black Zetsu, Obito, and Danzo."
[Ren Asakura]: "No need to be so polite. If I take on a job, I do it right. As for Black Zetsu—the mastermind behind it all—I already sent him to go 'reunite' with his mother. Now that that troublemaker is gone, the Ninja World should be a little more peaceful. But there are still plenty of crises ahead."
[Minato Namikaze]: "I'll do my best! I will protect my village and my family."
[Saitama]: "Protecting your world and your family—that makes you a hero too!"
[Lu Mingfei]: "I never thought you'd actually be such a good person. I used to doubt you… I feel so guilty now."
[Ren Asakura]: "Keep the compliments coming. I love hearing them. By the way, Lu Mingfei, do you need my help with your world? That Herzog guy… I wanted to deal with him back when I first read Dragon Raja. Total scumbag."
[Lu Mingfei]: "I think I should handle it myself."
[Yoriichi Tsugikuni]: "Earlier, during the live stream, you demonstrated the ability to enter the underworld and the realm of departed souls. I have a request."
[Lu Mingfei]: "If I remember correctly, your world also has a land of the dead, right?"
[Yoriichi Tsugikuni]: "Yes. I want to see my wife and child one more time."
[Ren Asakura]: "Sure. No problem."
[Yoriichi Tsugikuni]: "Thank you."
[Lu Mingfei]: "You really are a good person. Joining this chat group is the best thing that's ever happened to me."
[Minato Namikaze]: "Yeah. If it weren't for you, I probably would've died last night during the Nine-Tails attack, just like in the original timeline."
[Ren Asakura]: "You guys keep praising me like this, and I might actually start getting embarrassed."
[Lu Mingfei]: "You're amazing!"
[Ren Asakura]: "Keep it low-key! Just invite me over to your worlds so I can have some fun. And Lu Mingfei, since you're the weakest one here, if you ever run into an enemy you can't beat, don't hesitate to call for help. You don't have to sacrifice a quarter of your lifespan just to make a deal."
[Ren Asakura]: "Lately, I've been enjoying 'gentle persuasion' and writing some light tragedy. No matter how stubborn your enemies are, I can guarantee they'll fall in line."
[Ren Asakura]: "Smile! (﹀`)*゜"
[Lu Mingfei]: "Stop smiling like that. It's scaring me!"
[Ren Asakura]: "Nothing to be afraid of. I won't 'accidentally' kill them. Worst case, I'll just strip them of death itself."
[Lu Mingfei]: "That sounds even scarier! Leader, please!"
[Ren Asakura]: "Come on, what's there to be scared of? Stripping away death just means they get to live forever. That's the dream of Orochimaru, isn't it?"
[Lu Mingfei]: "Yeah, but… that kind of immortality still hurts! Sometimes, death is a mercy."
°°°
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